They’re known to be gentle giants in the animal kingdom. You’d expect an animal so large to be quite ferocious, but elephants are quite kind-hearted and gentle. A video from 2009 shows an elephant in Tanzanie braving a swamp full of hippos! In the wild, hippos and elephants tend to live in the same areas. It’s normal for hippos to steer clear of elephants due to their size and willingness to fight if needed. That being said, hippos aren’t the daintiest creatures either. One of the biggest mammals on Earth is the hippo. Males average 3,500 to 9,920 pounds, while females weigh 3,000 pounds. A hippo’s length ranges from 10.8 to 16.5 feet on average, and its shoulder height can reach 5.2 feet. Hippos are animals that love the water and that inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangroves. Despite being thick, their skin is incredibly delicate and is quickly burned or dried out by the harsh African sun. In order to stay cool, and wet, and safeguard their delicate skin, they spend the majority of their time in the water or mud.
A Nonchalant Getaway
This swamp is full of dozens of basking hippos cooling off from the sweltering sun. You’d expect an elephant to walk around for his own safety, but this one couldn’t care less! He tromps right through the hippos as if they’re not even there. Several of the animals start attempting to bite the elephant and take him down. One, in particular, kept grabbing his tail. Without a concern in the world, the elephant makes it to the other side of the water and goes about his day. The tourists are enjoying the show! At one point, the elephant gently kicks a hippo as he lunges in for another bite. A top comment on the Youtube upload encompasses what we’re all thinking. It reads, “Considering how territorial and aggressive hippos are and how they’re all forced to make way for the elephant, the elephant truly beats all in the jungle.” It’s true! Male hippos are fiercely protective of their territory, while females actively defend their offspring by acting aggressively. Hippos are ferocious and regarded as very deadly animals. Their enormous teeth and tusks allow them to protect themselves from predators, including humans. Sometimes the parent hippos’ tempers take a toll on their offspring.
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